Fitting Squares in Round Holes

Fitting Squares in Round Holes

Have you ever had a friend who lost a lot of weight?  She transformed her life.  She is a real life advertisement for weight loss and wellness.  She tells you exactly how she did it and you jump on board head first, expecting the very same results.  

Fast forward a month and you find yourself struggling.  Not only have you not lost the weight, but you’re mentally strung-out and miserable.  You begin to wonder, “Why did it work for her and yet it’s not working for me?  She is thriving on this program and I, for lack of a better term, feel as though I’m dying.”  You wonder to yourself, “Is she just lucky or what?” Your curiosity begins to get the best of you and you start to think that she may just have some superior and magical will power.  You can’t help but wonder, though, that maybe there’s something more to this.  You begin to consider the thought that perhaps you’re trying to force your body to be something it simply is not.

Nature loves for us to be unique.  We all have different body types; therefore, what is good for one person can be poison for another.  Those lucky people who tried a specific diet plan and kept the weight off were not fortunate because they managed to keep the weight off; they happened to hit the jackpot because as chance would have it, they fell upon a lifestyle program that worked for their unique body type.   

The good news is that finding your unique body type is not as difficult as it sounds.  It takes experimenting and patience.   It’s important to keep in mind that this is a process and not a quick fix weight loss plan.  It is a lifestyle change that will help you to not only lose the weight, but it will also help to improve your physical and mental health by leaps and bounds.  

To discover those messages your body is relaying to you, you may consider keeping a food /mood journal.  As you begin to experiment and make discoveries, you can consider things like trying a different breakfast every day.  By ‘different’, I mean incorporating a breakfast of protein and carbohydrates one day such as an egg and toast, then the next switching it up and having a muffin.  The day after that, you could change it up to steel-cut oatmeal.  Get creative with what you to try.  As you do this you can begin to measure your energy levels and begin to journal what those messages look like for you.  Your journal is such a handy tool because you can jot down how you feel right after you eat, then log how you feel two hours later and compare the two.  This will help you to become more self-aware, which will feel really great for you. 

As you begin to pay close attention to how you feel after you eat, begin to ask yourself questions such as, “Am I satisfied?” “Do I still feel hungry?”  In two hours check on yourself again to see how you feel.  Are you tired?  Are you hungry?  Do you still feel satisfied?  This is a good way to see what foods are fulfilling to you.  

Once you find the breakfast that gives you the most satisfaction you can move on to lunch, then dinner.   Take one small, slow step at a time.  

The key is to experiment with what works for you.  Remember, patience is key.  Your discoveries won’t happen overnight but this is something you can start right away!  Once you are aware of what foods work for your body you will be better at gauging what types of food you should be eating and that will help you feel great!

Another thing you might want to consider is where your imbalances may be coming from.  If you find you just want to eat no matter how self-aware you are about your food choices consider looking at all aspects of your life.  These are what we call “Core Foods” and they consist of things such as your relationships, career, finances, and all those core areas of your life.  As a coach and health practitioner, I am able to help you determine these things and help you find where you may be experiencing hidden stressors in your life.  

For more information on how to get healthy and look and feel fabulous from the inside out, contact Lisa at Rose’s Peace and Balanced Wellness. Let’s incorporate some techniques into your routine so you can get started right away!